El Castillo Cave is an archaeological site located in Puente Viesgo, Cantabria, Spain that contains the oldest known cave art in the world dating back 120,000 years. The cave walls contain paintings of hands, bison, deer, horses and other enigmatic symbols left by both Neanderthals and early modern humans. Archaeologists have discovered remains from the Lower Paleolithic through Bronze Age periods that provide clues about the lifestyles and mentality of the paleolithic humans who inhabited the cave.

1. El Castillo Cave
Mónica- Polixenia Palasanu 2ºE

2. 1.Location
• It’s an archaeological
site which belongs to
the complex of
the Caves of Monte
Castillo.
• It’s located in Puente
Viesgo(Cantabria),
Spain.

3. 2.Features and description
• It hosts the oldest known cave art in the world(120,000 years)
• It was discovered in 1903 by H. Alcalde del Río.
• The archaeological site was located in the lobby and contains
human activity of the last 150,000 years.
• On the walls of the cave there are paintings of hands, bisons,
deer, horses, enigmatic symbols…
• It is noted for its techniques, themes and styles.
• El Castillo has remains from the Lower Paleolithic to the Bronze
Age.
• The archeologists found clues that the cave was inhabited by
Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens
• This cave is very important for its level of stratification, it has 25
different levels.
• Archeologists thought that there was living the modern humans
and the Neanderthals.

5. 4.Life in the Paleolithic
We can know the animals that lived with the
humans, because they are painted on the walls
of the cave (bisons, deer, horses...) and were
hunted by them. They also painted their hands
and geometric shapes. Thanks to the paintings
and the objects there we can know a little of
their mentality.

7. 3.PHOTOGRAPHS AND EXAMPLES

9. The pictures show
hands, signs and
differents animals like,
bisons, deers, a horse
and more figures and
engravings.

10. Engraved propeller of the Upper Magdalenian found in the Cave of El Castillo.

11. 5.Resources
http://www.turismodecantabria.com/disfrutala/que-visitar/18-cueva-de-el-
castillo/buscador-aWRab25hPTkmaWRNdW5pY2lwaW89NDAm
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cueva_de_El_Castillo
http://cuevas.culturadecantabria.com/castillo.asp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0j9NC1hID0
http://www.regiocantabrorum.es/publicaciones/cueva_castillo
http://culturadecantabria.viavox.com/ficha_patrimonio.asp?idmonumento=17